The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has approached the Supreme Court, seeking to intervene in a pending criminal appeal. The case could decide whether match-fixing, a spectre that has long haunted Indian cricket, can be prosecuted as a criminal offence of cheating under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
The move by the world’s richest cricket body highlights a significant legal vacuum: India, despite being a cricketing powerhouse, does not have a specific law that criminalises match-fixing. The BCCI’s intervention aims to plug this gap by arguing for a wider interpretation of the offence of cheating.
Here’s a look at the case, the current legal position and what the BCCI is seeking.
What is the Supreme Court case about?
The case, State of Karnataka & Anr v Sri Abrar Kazi & Ors